Hallmark's 'Aurora Teagarden': Skyler Samuels on Reimagining the Amateur Sleuth for Prequel Movie (Exclusive)

etonline.com:

Hallmark reimagines the beloved amateur sleuth with the upcoming prequel movie, , which sees Skyler Samuels stepping into the shoes of the titular heroine previously played by former star Candace Cameron Bure.In the film, which premieres Friday on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, a fresh-out-of-college Aurora finds herself back home in Lawrenceton.

Her mother, Aida (Marilu Henner), struggles to keep her newfound real estate business, while Aurora supports herself by working as a teacher’s assistant in a crime fiction class and waitresses at the local diner in the evenings, where she shares her love of true crime with her friend, Sally (Kayla Heller), and police officer, Arthur (Evan Roderick).Of course, something arises that puts Aurora's sleuthing skills to use: When Sally’s fiancé doesn’t show up at their wedding rehearsal, Aurora recruits Arthur to help her search for him.

When they discover a body, everyone assumes it is Sally’s tardy groom, but when it turns out to be someone else, Sally’s fiancé becomes the prime suspect.

The original franchise, which consisted of 18 movies from 2015 to early 2022, garnered a loyal following.When the opportunity arose for Samuels, who starred in and next appears in, to bring her own spin to an established character like Aurora, the chance to bring a slightly «messier» version of the character was appealing. (Watch ET's exclusive clip from the movie featuring Samuels as Aurora and Roderick as Arthur in a flirtatious moment at the diner.)«The most important thing to me was to make sure that I really studied the original movies, honed in on what were her key characteristics and traits that made her who she is.